Let us spell out what the Hatch Advantage looks like in our Immersive program.
When the first-ever Hatch Immersive ran in mid-June 2018, the atmosphere was a peculiar brew of excitement and nerves. The elation stemmed from finally being able to witness months of blood, sweat and tears take shape into a programme centred around compassion at its core. The jitters, naturally, was an understanding that despite the colossal effort that culminated to this very moment, the journey ahead would be one marked with uncertainty.
The events that followed that faithful day were months of trial-and-error and faith-dampening episodes in effort to fine-tune the programme. Yet amidst the turbulence, an undisputed virtue endured – the tenacity to safeguard the wellbeing every student that comes under our wing. The unspoken promise was this: no matter the circumstances, it was never an option to cut corners and compromise on programme quality. True enough, you’d be surprised by the number of instances when the most convenient alternatives presented themselves. Shutting them down not only goes without saying, it underlines the weight of our word.
Fast-forward 5 batches and 70 lovely Hatch graduates two years later, we still stand by this. A promise renewed with every student that walks through our doors.
What is Hatch Immersive?
For the uninitiated, Hatch Immersive is one of the two main training programmes we offer. Under the programme, students undergo industry skills training in one of two tracks – Digital Marketing or User Interface & User Experience (UI/UX) Design – followed by an internship placement with possible conversion to full-time depending on performance.
The influence in commitment
Our commitment to our Immersive students goes beyond the delivery of training milestones and securing employment outcomes. We dig deeper to uncover and balance their level of aspirations, depth of ability and practical circumstances through one-on-one mentorship and career counselling. Even in their pursuit of other interests beyond our classroom, we push our students to reach their highest potential. For these areas that fall outside of our expertise, we support them by tapping into our wealth of networks to share resources that would be helpful for their endeavours.
That said, while prior educational qualifications are not a pre-requisite to enter the programme, the Immersive prides itself in its ability to jumpstart one’s digital and design career in under 6 months through a strategically-curated curriculum with an emphasis on job experience. To ensure no one is left behind, we make it a point to periodically check in on our students progress – in both their freshly acquired technical skills and additionally on their mental-wellbeing. Should anyone be unable to keep up with the rigour of the curriculum, additional support will be there to help them tide through.
Perhaps the most crucial differentiating factor of our programme is our job placements. The Immersive is designed in a manner such that industry-relevance is positioned with utmost importance, and that skills learnt in the classroom should ultimately translate into tangible outputs in real-world scenarios. Our desire is for both the attachment companies and our students to derive the most fulfilling and fruitful experiences from the internship placements. In that regard, placement outcomes take it a notch further from mere skills compatibility and competencies. They are also shaped by individual working style preferences and suitability with company cultures.
In some instances, the final layer of this consideration is to account for additional personal obstacles that some of our students grapple with. While conversations surrounding mental health in the workplace are still very much a taboo in Singapore, we believe that by taking a more upfront stance, employees and employers can mutually benefit from collaboratively managing the challenges that may arise.
The influence in diversity
We believe that effective education is not a one-way transmission from the educator. Just as each student’s lived experiences are unique to them, their interpretation of new knowledge can be vastly disparate. Our trainers’ roles are thus to help our students draw meaningful connections so that they can marry old knowledge with new-found information. This brings us to the next point – peer learning as another trump card of the programme.
Immersive class sizes are kept small to foster the most conducive and participatory environment. Given the nature of our programme, students with grit, adaptability and drive to succeed in this space naturally gravitate towards the Immersive. Our pool of students come from a myriad of different backgrounds – from fresh university graduates to full-time working professionals in unrelated industries, and even those employed in odd jobs such as food delivery riders and warehouse packers.
Though the collective mix may seem jarring at first, it’s woven together delicately to provide a rich and diverse backdrop that is vital in creating a thriving learning environment. The Immersive classroom provides an avenue for every individual to truly expand their horizons and see the world through diverse lenses. This exposure to alternative worldviews would otherwise be improbable if not for this intriguing of assembly of students.
Even long after graduating from the Immersive, alumni form long-lasting friendships with their peers. Hatch graduates often rally together to extend help to existing students and ease their transition into the workforce. Once an individual joins Hatch, they become part of a growing community that genuinely cares for one another.
The influence that never ceases
Think of a teacher who changed the trajectory of your life.
When we reflect on the educators who left their legacy, our gratitude extends past the broadened perspectives they have bestowed upon us. The ones who come to mind are often those who put their faiths in us when no one seems to share the same sentiments. They are the ones who rejoiced alongside our personal triumphs and grieved with us during downtimes.
It is our desire that Hatch is able to embody this role for our community of students. Anyone who shows genuine interest to dream big and better their lives should not only be taken seriously, they should also be heard and supported.
Let us journey together now.
Request our Immersive syllabus here – we won’t bite.
Hatch is an impact-driven business with the mission to make digital and design opportunities accessible for all.
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